Salt Lake City Weekly staff earned recognition at recent Society of Professional Journalists awards competitions.

At the “Top of the Rockies” competition hosted in April by SPJ’s Region 9 in Denver, City Weekly competed against regional papers and magazines with circulations of 10,000-75,000 in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Staff reporter Eric Peterson brought home first place awards for his feature on Rick Koeber in “All Bets Are Off” and his look at tax breaks in Utah’s oil and gas industry in “Jacked.” He also brought home an honorable mention for a feature on Intermountain Healthcare titled “Shake Down.”

Former staffer Ted McDonough garnered a second place for his investigative feature on Salt Lake City surveillance in “They Are Watching You.”

Freelancer Wren Abbott earned a second place in her “Child’s Play” feature about youth motocross in Salt Lake City.

In June, the Utah Headliners Chapter of SJP announced results from its annual competition. City Weekly competed against local dailies with a circulation of more than 50,000, including the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News. Top honors included:

Government Reporting
1st place: “Called into Question,” Eric Peterson
Hon. Mention: “They’re Watching You,” Ted McDonough

Medical/Science Reporting
1st place: “You Bet Your Life,” Eric Peterson
Hon. Mention “Beetles Attack,” Stephen Dark

Minority Issues Reporting
1st place: “Gone Baby Gone,” Stephen Dark

Best Newspaper
2nd place: Salt Lake City Weekly

Best Reporter
Honorable Mention: Jesse Fruhwirth